TN govt to formulate sports, youth welfare policy

Tamil Nadu government today said it will formulate a separate policy for sports and youth welfare covering various aspects such as infrastructure and promoting sporting activities.
The initiative was aimed at making Tamil Nadu a premier state in sports and youth welfare, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said in the Assembly.
"This policy will incorporate various aspects like creating awareness among children and youth about taking up sporting activities, preparing them physically fit for games, establishing stadia, imparting training to sportspersons for winning medals in global events and creating required tracks and swimming pools," she said.
The proposed sports policy would also seek to promote sporting activities for the differently-abled.

An integrated complex for various sports disciplines, besides a special swimming pool for the differently-abled persons, will come up at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here at an estimated Rs 12 crore, she said.
The facility could be used in the future to hold national or international tournaments, she said.
She proposed a sum of Rs 4.50 crore for the renovation of the tennis stadium constructed as part of the 7th South Asian Games held here in 1995.
Among others, she announced a Chief Minister's Health Scheme for All, State Games for Chief Minister's Trophy, separate gymnasium for men and women staff of the state secretariat here and allocation of funds for maintenance of district sports complexes.